


Synthesis

by talesofsymphoniac



Category: Tales of Series, Tales of Zestiria
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Sormikweek2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 22:41:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7732591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsymphoniac/pseuds/talesofsymphoniac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"<i>I only wanted to keep you safe.</i> The thought bounced through them, echoing back and forth, carrying more meaning than the words could express, feelings of protectiveness, of responsibility, of guilt, of understanding. <i>It’s okay. It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re here now. We’ll protect each other.</i> The words belonged to both of them equally, and that was what they felt: belonging. This is where they were meant to be all along."</p><p>Written a while back, publishing for Day Four of Sormik Week 2016: Communication/Change</p>
            </blockquote>





	Synthesis

The owners of the inn in Ladylake had given the Shepherd and Lady Alisha Diphda the nicest rooms it could spare at no expense. Sorey was unused to such extravagance. Growing up in Elysia, he’d never slept in a bed so soft, with such smooth bedsheets, or on a more comfortable pillow.

Sorey, however, was restless. He lay on his back, eyes wide open in the darkness, as he had been for the last hour. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the reason for his onset of insomnia; though he attempted to sleep, he couldn’t stop expecting Mikleo to creep into the room and crawl into bed next to him, or slip into the armchair with a dim light and one of the books he’d been so enthused about only a few days ago.

Turning to his side, Sorey pondered the situation. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d tried to sleep without Mikleo there. It wasn’t even the first time he’d tried to sleep after they’d had a fight. They seldom had real fights, but sometimes even the greatest of friends need space from each other. Mikleo had a talent for backing off before their grumpy bickering got too intense.

Much like he’d backed off earlier today, Sorey reflected, thinking of Mikleo gently pulling his hands away from their insistent hold on his shoulders. At that moment, he’d stopped looking angry, but merely sad.

 _It’s been all day,_ Sorey tried to convince himself. _He said he’d meet us back at the inn. He’ll be back any minute now._ He couldn’t quite believe it.

He let the events of the day churn in his mind, from the minute they’d entered the aqueduct to the minute Mikleo had left. He’d wanted to fight alongside Sorey and Lailah, which was far too risky without the power of purification. Mikleo, Sorey thought, was logical enough to understand that.

According to Lailah, it was possible to share her power with Mikleo as well, and he’d seemed eager to accept that power. Too eager for Sorey’s liking. _Wait a minute and think!_ That’s what he’d wanted to say. He knew he’d rushed into the role of the Shepherd, but then there had been no other way, and he knew his way forward was clear.

Sorey knew Mikleo better than he let on. He wasn’t blind to what Mikleo had done for him: the way he’d been prepared to leave Elysia, the way he’d armed himself with the knowledge they needed. How long had he been studying for this eventuality? He also knew that Mikleo had stayed by his side when he slept for three days after becoming the Shepherd, though he’d tried to deny it. Mikleo, he thought, had a terrible tendency to sacrifice for his sake. But this Shepherd business… this was more dangerous than anything they had yet undertaken together. He knew Mikleo would thoughtlessly try to share the burden with him, unless Sorey objected. And so that’s what he’d done.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want Mikleo by his side. Of course he did; that was where he belonged. The two of them were an absolute unit. Lailah had seen that immediately. The thrill of discovery at the end of the ruins had been lackluster without a companion who was just as flushed with victory. It had felt so… pointless.

Sorey sighed. That was the problem, wasn’t it? There was no way he could ask Mikleo to leave him, not to mention no way Mikleo would accept such a proposition. At the same time, it was far too dangerous to continue this journey unless Mikleo could wield the power of purification. Mikleo, as usual, was right; the best option was for him to make the pact with Lailah.

Still, something in Sorey protested. This journey was only just beginning. How deep was he going to drag Mikleo into this?

* * *

Armatizing with Lailah was an amazing feeling. She had a quiet strength about her, a confidence that made fighting in one body simple. There was no fight for control; Lailah gave him the reigns and focused her efforts on strengthening his movements and adding her power, her element to his attacks. Lailah had experience, but instead of using it to dominate, she used it to enhance his will.

His and Mikleo’s armatus was an entirely different experience. Mikleo had none of the experience Lailah had. He did not yet know how to most effectively combine their powers and their strength. But what they lacked in expertise, they made up for in pure synchronization. Sorey could feel Mikleo’s consciousness, sense the direction of his thoughts, his mood, his strength. Lailah had been a quiet presence, or maybe he just wasn’t as sensitive yet to her as he was to Mikleo.

The emotion surging through him now was exuberance, and he couldn’t tell where his joy ended and Mikleo’s began. They were both drunk on the feeling of raw power, being reunited once again in mind, spirit, and now body. Mikleo took aim, Sorey fired. Mikleo’s magic was enhanced by Sorey’s strength, and Sorey’s strength was likewise enhanced by Mikleo’s abilities. They were two parts of the same entity.

 _I only wanted to keep you safe._ The thought bounced through them, echoing back and forth, carrying more meaning than the words could express, feelings of protectiveness, of responsibility, of guilt, of understanding. _It’s okay. It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re here now. We’ll protect each other._ The words belonged to both of them equally, and that was what they felt: belonging. This is where they were meant to be all along.

* * *

The battle was over, and Sorey and Alisha continued, seemingly alone. What couldn’t be seen were the spirits of Lailah and Mikleo, safely held in Sorey’s body.

Becoming Lailah’s vessel had been a very strange experience for Sorey at first, and he was now growing used to it. She wasn’t a physical presence, as much as a warmth, a slight disturbance in his thoughts, making itself known. It was less intense than their armatus, when Lailah would direct her power through their shared body. This was more like a friend walking beside him, only seen in his peripheral.

Mikleo, again, was different. His presence in Sorey’s mind was new, but familiar. He found he could feel Mikleo’s satisfaction and curiosity at his new state of being. Lailah stirred without intent, drawing their attention to her presence, getting them situated. Once they had all got their bearing, she became still again.

After the initial interest wore off, Sorey found himself forgetting they were even there. Which meant there were a few times that he turned excitedly to Mikleo to mention a feature of the ruins they were in, only to Alisha looking confused and then laughing when she realized what Sorey had done.

The second time this happened, Lailah and Mikleo materialized before them, and while the boys examined the marking on the wall, Alisha was drawn to Lailah.

“You’re in a very good mood, Lailah,” Alisha commented, noting the permanent smile painting Lailah’s features.

Lailah giggled. “Sorey and Mikleo are absolutely euphoric. The feeling is a little contagious. Oh, I had forgotten how _intense_ such feelings could be!”

Alisha smiled at that, watching the two poring through the Celestial Record, looking for a specific reference. “I’m glad they made up.”

* * *

Again, Sorey was laying in bed, but this time, Mikleo was next to him. No comment was made about how exhausted Sorey looked; they both knew the reason.

Lailah prefered not to be stuck in Sorey’s head while he slept. She spent most of the night outside, in the lobby of the inn, or wandering the city. Sorey wondered if Mikleo would prefer to join her, and was secretly quite glad when he had joined him in their room instead.

Mikleo rarely went to bed at the same time as him, only if he was unusually tired. Sorey wondered if he had been the only one kept awake last night by their fight. The thought made him want to reach out for Mikleo, so he put his hand between them, easily within Mikleo’s reach. He was rewarded when Mikleo met him in the middle, not quite holding his hand but allowing them to touch. Sorey took his hand fully; after spending the day so close together, he was reluctant to put any space between them.

Even now, Sorey found himself wanting to pull Mikleo closer, wrap his arms around him, brush his nose against Mikleo’s jaw. He blinked. That was… new. Before he had any time to process this thought, Mikleo spoke up.

“What’s up?” Mikleo whispered, shifting to face him.

“Nothing,” Sorey said, too quickly. How had Mikleo picked up on his sudden distraction? That was a weird thing to think, right? Mikleo couldn’t tell, could he? His heart raced at the thought: whatever that was, he needed time to piece it together himself before Mikleo figured it out. _Calm down_ , he told himself. Mikleo had a way of knowing what he was thinking before he ever thought it, but still, he couldn’t read Sorey’s mind. He’d probably just surprised himself, and Mikleo could tell.

There was a short pause. “Liar,” he said, squeezing Sorey’s hand. “I can practically hear you thinking.”

“It’s nothing,” Sorey said again, returning the squeeze. He hesitated, then found his fingers moving across Mikleo’s hand, never letting go, just lightly stroking his hand where their fingers touched. His heart was beating disproportionately quickly, and he was just thinking that he was seriously going to have to think over this newfound revelation about his feelings when he realized that Mikleo was returning those small movements, their fingers brushing against each other in some strange dance.

After a few minutes of this, Mikleo sighed. “All right,” he said. “We don’t have to discuss it.” Again, Sorey wondered if Mikleo really could read his mind. But if he did know, he apparently wasn’t going to push it. That was good, Sorey thought, because he honestly didn’t know what he would say if pressed. _I suddenly had the urge to get closer to you than we’ve ever been but maybe it’s not really that sudden and I’m not sure if that means what I think it might mean and if it does mean that then I’m not sure what to do about it. Also I’m holding your hand right now and it’s really distracting._

Instead, he just said, “I missed you,” and Mikleo tightened his hold on Sorey’s hand again.

“Me too,” he said, and they fell asleep like that, together again, and Sorey felt as if this journey was only now truly beginning. This journey… and maybe something else, as well, he thought in the morning, seeing their hands still entwined.


End file.
